Certain world characteristics can no longer be ignored when curriculum is devised for schools and teacher education. The rate of change in our country, and globally, is accelerating. Taking a reconstructionist view, there are certain directions that education should take with respect to content, methodology, values education, and skills. Educators and schools cannot teach students everything they need to know. Schools must not be afraid, however, to confront controversial issues and search for answers, and education's content must be conceptual rather than focused on unrelated facts. Students must learn to inquire, test hypotheses about causes and results, and test consequences of their beliefs. They must be encouraged to think of problems as issues which contain multiple interacting variables, and, given the nature and impact of public policy decisions, education must be interdisciplinary. Moral and value questions must take their place at the heart of the school curriculum, because certain values are necessary to sustain a global society. In a global society of diversity, conflict, and uncertainty, education must provide support for the individual. If students are to participate more effectively in future society, they should learn to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences by developing interpersonal skills. (JMK)